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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25303354">of symphonies and sour notes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/atemzug/pseuds/atemzug'>atemzug</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>sincerely, slowly, falling in love [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stray Kids (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - High School, Doukyuusei AU, M/M, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Time Skips</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:15:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,684</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25303354</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/atemzug/pseuds/atemzug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It only takes Jisung a song and a month to realize he's falling in love; it takes him another one of each to realize it's okay.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>sincerely, slowly, falling in love [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1839001</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>of symphonies and sour notes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitsori/gifts">bitsori</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>happy birthday! not to you a* but to anyone whose birthday is today. but here's short insubstantial minsung for you! i feel like you've written so much for me and this doesn't even begin to compare but i hope this at least makes you smile today hehe</p><p>the premise of this fic is based on the first part (summer) of <a href="https://youtu.be/R8KZ9WOTU78">doukyuusei</a> and the title is taken from <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1N7Aep1OewK9diaN9WbuuR?si=C7tvI_uYTv-lPTsmTiAVSQ">'stupid for you' by waterparks</a></p><p>lino and jisung are both the same age as changbin in this fic bc they're supposed to be classmates. also, the setting isn't korea, that's why there are no formalities (let's pretend they're in a place where this school activity makes sense...)</p><p>although this work is part of a series, it's still a stand-alone fic, so you don't have to read any other work in this series to be able to understand this one! but in case you decide to read the other works, please note that the timelines might overlap. please also note that each work in this series revolves around a different couple.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em> Summer sucks, </em> Jisung thinks, huffing out air as he sits through this stupid choir stint. Summer doesn't actually suck, but this year it does. Jisung had exciting plans with his brother; having to take an extracurricular course this summer isn't one of those. It's so hot, and he'd really rather just go backpacking abroad with his brother than bask in the heat and humidity of a room full of sweaty teenage boys. Instead, he has to sing at a fundraiser with a bunch of people who couldn't really care less— especially that one boy wearing glasses, who's quite popular for being pretty despite them being in an all-boy school. </p><p>("Does he think he can get away with everything because he's pretty?" Jisung had once murmured to his friend Changbin.</p><p>"Who?" Changbin had replied.</p><p>"Minho." </p><p>"Why? What did he do?"</p><p>"He never sings whenever Mr. Park makes us all sing together."</p><p>"I think he has bad eyesight, that's why he couldn't read what's on the board."</p><p>"What are his glasses for, then?"</p><p>"For his <em> bad eyesight, </em>Jisung," Changbin pointed out.)</p><p>Jisung pays him more attention now. He does sing, Jisung noticed some time ago, but he still seems a little too uninterested. Jisung can't blame him, though; it's not like this is some exciting feat anyway. In fact, it's so unexciting that Jisung only looks forward to going to the studio with Changbin at the end of the day to meet with their bandmates. That's why, when he realizes he forgot something at his desk while they're already on their way to the studio, and he has to actually go back, he almost kicks the classroom's door out of annoyance.</p><p>
  <em> Almost. </em>
</p><p>He doesn't, though, because he sees - no, he <em> hears </em>it first - that someone's left inside, practicing their song. Jisung steps inside, and the boy who was struggling to find the right note turns around, jumping up in surprise.</p><p>"Sorry," Jisung immediately says. "I was just gonna get something."</p><p>"Right," the boy replies. Jisung can't help but stare when he takes off his glasses. Minho's always looked pretty, to the point where he sometimes looks a bit unreal, but he's a certain kind of pretty like this: his hair tousled, looking like someone just ran their fingers through it, and his shirt unbuttoned, making him look a little more like a real teenage boy and less like a porcelain doll. "What?" he asks when he notices the other staring. </p><p>"Do you want me to coach you on your singing?" Jisung blurts out before he could stop himself. He has to fight the urge to cover his mouth with his hand.</p><p>Minho looks so surprised when he answers. "Huh?" </p><p>"I'll coach you." He takes a few steps closer, stopping to sit on the desk directly in front of the other, trying to act normal. He plucks the songbook out of Minho's hands and pretends to examine it. "We're singing together, anyway." The truth is, he's even more surprised at himself for making the offer. </p><p>Minho narrows his eyes at him. "Aren't you busy with your band, or something?" he asks. </p><p>"Well, yeah— wait, how'd you know I was in a band?" </p><p>Minho's eyes widen for a second, and then he immediately looks away. "Everyone does." He shrugs. "But I'm up for the offer."</p><p>It's either the room is too quiet, or Jisung's heart is suddenly too close to his ears. "Really?" he asks.</p><p>"If you were serious about it, yeah."</p><p>"I was!" Jisung eagerly nods. "I mean, I <em> am </em>serious about it."</p><p>"Alright." Minho smiles at him, and Jisung doesn't quite understand the strange feeling that simple smile gives him. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Jisung."</p><p>"See you tomorrow," he replies, watching as the other picks his things up and leaves, "Minho."</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>***</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>"You're late again!" Joochan stops mid-song as soon as Jisung enters the studio. "Jisung is late again! He owes us dinner!"</p><p>"Why are you always late these days?" Jangjun asks. "I mean, I'm all for free dinner, but <em>why</em> <em>are you always late?</em>"</p><p>Jisung scratches the back of his head and laughs awkwardly. He genuinely feels sorry for always being late to practice, especially since they've only been able to play with complete members during summer ever since Jangjun started university a year ago. Still, he doesn't really feel the least bit apologetic for the time he spends with Minho. </p><p>"He's a tutor now," Changbin answers for him, which isn't exactly wrong, but isn't exactly right either. It's not like Jisung gets paid for it.</p><p>Jisung and Minho have been spending so much time together the past month; initially they were really just practicing, but as time went on they moved on to hanging out, getting snacks, stopping for coffee takeouts. It's been lots of fun, and Jisung has to admit he didn't expect they'd get along so well.</p><p>"Eh?" Jangjun looks at him in disbelief. "I didn't know you did well in school?"</p><p>"We didn't know you did well in school either," Joochan butts in. "None of us thought you'd get into uni— Ow!" he rubs the area on his chest where Jangjun's elbow hit, laughing as he walks back to his position.</p><p>"Alright." Jangjun claps his hands once. "Big thanks to Jisung Han for gracing us with his presence. Time for practice."</p><p>"No biggie," Jisung replies. He takes his own position, picking up the old bass guitar he's been using for five years now, a hand-me-down from his older brother. He plays familiar notes, songs they've been playing and practicing for years, songs they've written on their own. They all play really well now, and Joochan sings really well too, and still he can't help but wish he were singing with Minho instead.</p><p>It's such a bummer that today was the last day he could hear their voices mixed together, a symphony he never expected. </p><p>"Here." Jisung tries handing Joochan a couple of bills once practice is over and they're out of the studio. </p><p>"What's that?" Joochan asks. "Do you owe me money?"</p><p>"For dinner, dumbass," Jisung explains with a laugh. "I can't come with you 'cause I'm meeting my classmate."</p><p>"You guys are still meeting tonight?" Changbin asks. </p><p>Jisung nods. "The fundraiser’s tomorrow, so he wanted to practice a bit more."</p><p>"Who?" Jangjun asks.</p><p>"Minho Lee," Changbin answers.</p><p>"<em> Who? </em>" Jangjun repeats. "Anyway, I don't know him. And I'm passing on dinner tonight, I have plans with my family."</p><p>"Yeah, me, too," Joochan adds. "I'm meeting up with Donghyun."</p><p>"Alright." Jisung pockets his bills. He turns to Changbin. "I'm assuming you're meeting up with Seungmin too, so dinner's cancelled."</p><p>"Fine," Changbin says, sighing dramatically. "You owe us lunch tomorrow."</p><p>"Yessir!" Jisung exclaims. Honestly, at this point he’d agree to anything they say just so he can take off. He’s already running late and Minho already sent him a text saying he’s at the park near their school. “I’ll go ahead, then. Catch you guys tomorrow!”</p><p>“So eager to meet up with Minho,” is the last thing Jisung hears Changbin mutter before he’s running off towards the park, almost bumping into someone in his haste. He finds Minho sitting by the fountain when he gets there, looking impossibly pretty under the light of the lamppost. </p><p>"Hey," Jisung walks up to him and greets. "This for me?" He asks, pointing at one of the cans of coffee sitting beside the other on the bench. </p><p>"If you want it." Minho shrugs</p><p>Jisung picks one of the cans up before settling down as well. "Thanks," he says, already taking a sip and feeling the kick of caffeine. "So what are we doing tonight?"</p><p>Minho raises an eyebrow at him. "What else are we supposed to be doing?" Before Jisung can answer, he raises the songbook in front of his face. "This shit."</p><p>"Eh? Come on, we've been doing that the entire month!" </p><p>"'Cause that's what we agreed to do, Jisung."</p><p>He sighs. "Alright. Give me <em> that shit </em>." He snatches the book out of Minho's hand and they pore over it together. Jisung's already gotten the entire thing memorized, with all the singing they've been doing for the past weeks. Surely, Minho already knows the song just as well, and yet his eyes are still glued to the guide. How he manages to look pretty while doing that too, Jisung doesn't know anymore.</p><p>He also doesn't know <em> why </em> he's been thinking so much about how pretty Minho looks even while he's doing nothing. They don't talk much when they're in class, since their friend groups are different. Even so, Jisung always finds his gaze falling on Minho; he started paying <em> even </em>more attention, at even the tiny details - like how Minho shifts the pen from his right hand to his left in the middle of jotting down notes, or how he takes off his glasses to wipe sweat from his eyes and massage the tall bridge of his nose, how he sometimes unbuttons the top of his uniform when it gets unbearably humid, how his gaze sometimes meets Jisung's too.</p><p>It flashes in the backs of Jisung's eyes, the way Minho turned to look at him just today, when Mr. Park was telling them they all did a good job and he's proud of all of them. Heat rushes up his face when he recalls Minho's soft smile, his hair plastered onto his forehead with sweat, which shouldn't even look attractive but somehow it did. </p><p>He stops singing midnote and shakes his head. </p><p>Minho turns to him when he realizes he's the only one singing. His brows are furrowed when he asks, "What's wrong?"</p><p>It's kind of amazing how a surge of emotion, rationale, and hesitation all fit in the split second it takes for Jisung's lips to be on top of Minho's. </p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>***</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>"Hey," Changbin greets when he steps inside and sees Jisung fiddling with Joochan’s acoustic guitar. “You’re early.”</p><p>“Yo,” Jisung replies. Summer’s almost over, and he’s never once been late for practice since the day before their school’s fundraiser event. “School ended last week, remember? I have so much time to waste now.”</p><p>“I see." Changbin walks over to where Jisung’s sitting on the floor and joins him there. He seems to be contemplating whether to say something or not; in the end, he does. "I bumped into Minho last night."</p><p>Jisung’s fingers slip, and the note that comes out is sour, making him cringe. Clearing his throat, he replies, as casually as he can muster, “Yeah?”</p><p>"Yeah. Apparently he and Seungmin go to the same cram school." </p><p>“Well... he does seem like Seungmin’s crowd.”</p><p>Changbin snorts. “No, he doesn’t,” he counters. “He’s <em> your crowd. </em>”</p><p>“My crowd is you guys.”</p><p>“Yeah, and him.”</p><p>“Please.” Jisung scoffs. If Minho were his crowd, they’d still be friends now— if they ever really were friends, anyway. Summer’s almost over, and he’s never once talked to Minho since the night before their fundraiser. He tries not to think about it, the way Minho’s eyes widened in utter shock when Jisung kissed him, the way his lips never moved to kiss Jisung back while he was completely frozen in place, the way Jisung realized too late what he was doing and ran away as soon as he did. He thinks he heard Minho calling after him that night, but that might only be his imagination, just like whatever he thought it was that's growing between them.</p><p>It was hard, though. Not thinking about that night, or Minho in general, was almost impossible, seeing as he and Minho were classmates. More often than not, it was still him Jisung's eyes kept landing on, although never long enough to see if Minho ever actually looked back. But Jisung's been improving. Since school's over, he didn't have to see Minho again - at least not until the next term starts - and he's been spending most of his time at the studio, practicing, writing songs, chit-chatting with his bandmates since Jangjun's going to be away again once summer ends and they're trying to sneak a gig or two in before that happens. In fact, Jisung's been working on this one song he was writing right when Changbin arrived.</p><p>That's where the problem comes: the song is about Minho. Jisung's trying to convince himself that it's <em> definitely not about Minho. </em> He tells himself it's just some random idea he came up with based on popular media and bits of reality— and that's exactly what he tells Changbin when the latter picks the music sheet up and reads the lyrics out loud, raising his eyebrows at Jisung and smiling teasingly. </p><p>He's about to snap at Changbin for being annoying when the problem <em> actually </em> comes. No, really. <em> The problem </em>is right there, standing by the door which Jisung now realizes Changbin had intentionally left open, greeting them with a shy but somehow very casual, "Hey."</p><p>"What the— what are— why are you—?" Jisung stutters.</p><p>"Told you I bumped into him last night," Changbin says, still wearing that annoying smile. As if that explains everything. He gets up from the floor and claps Jisung on the back. "I'll leave you guys to it."</p><p>"Huh?" Jisung is confused, and a little panicked. What the hell is Minho doing here? And where the hell is Changbin going? "Hey! Wait—!"</p><p>"Bye."</p><p>"Changbin—" Jisung's call falls on deaf ears, and he watches as Changbin pushes Minho further inside the studio before stepping out and closing the door behind him. Then he watches as Minho walks up to him, stopping a good meter away. "What are you doing here?" is all Jisung could think to ask.</p><p>Minho shrugs. He always just shrugs things off, doesn't he? As if it wasn't weird that he just suddenly showed up when Jisung's supposed to practice with his friends. </p><p>"Right," Jisung deadpans. "You were just passing by, weren't you?"</p><p>Minho sighs this time, heavy. He takes his glasses off and rubs the bridge of his nose - something Jisung's noticed he does when he's tired - before saying, "Changbin told me you'd be here."</p><p>"That explains a lot. Thanks."</p><p>"I saw him last night with someone from cram school."</p><p>"So I've been told."</p><p>"Will you stop interrupting me?" </p><p>"Sorry," Jisung mutters. </p><p>"I asked him how you were doing." Minho looks away, which just gives Jisung a clearer view of his reddening ears. "Might've asked for your number too." </p><p>"Oh. Why didn't you text me then? You didn't have to come all the way here."</p><p>"I wanted to see you."</p><p>"Really?" Jisung fakes a scoff, but the truth is he's once again unsure if the room is too quiet, or his heart is suddenly too close to his ears. "You didn't seem like you ever wanted to see me again after I kissed you."</p><p>"Wha— I was calling after you!"</p><p>"But you didn't kiss me back!" Jisung counters. He feels silly and embarrassed admitting it out loud. "Why would I show my face to you— what are you doing?"</p><p>Minho's suddenly up, taking determined strides towards Jisung, making him back away until his head hits the wall and his lips hit— his head hits the wall again when Minho pushes him against it, his fingers tilting Jisung's face up so their lips slot together more naturally. </p><p>It's unfair that Jisung wasn't given enough time to react to what was happening until Minho's pulling away. "Okay," Jisung exhales. "Alright."</p><p>"Sorry," Minho says under his voice, breathing heavily. His cheeks are a pretty shade of pink when he adds, "There. I kissed you back."</p><p>"Actually, you didn't," Jisung points out. He reaches for Minho, who's now sitting directly in front of him and looking at him with a mildly confused expression. "Don't you think glasses get in the way of kissing?" he asks as he gently takes Minho's glasses off, laying it on the floor. He wants the satisfaction of Minho <em> actually </em> kissing him back - and that's exactly what he gets this time.</p><p><em> Summer sucks, </em> Jisung thinks, gasping for air when they pull away for breath. Summer doesn't actually suck, but this year it does - but that's only because it's ending too soon. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you for reading!<br/><a href="https://curiouscat.qa/crashingfalling">curiouscat</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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